How Gavin Sacks started their logo design journey

Company name

Overview

InsideHotels.com is new hotel review website , where will review and analyze millions of reviews from other travel review sites like Tripadvisor etc and summarize them for consumers.

Here are some design basics to consider when designing online travel related logo's ( taken from this article on good travel website logo's http://www.logodesignworks.com/blog

Elements of a Successful Online Travel Logo
If you have a travel related business, you need a travel logo that draws customers in. You are not just selling plane tickets or hotel rooms; you are selling a fantasy of faraway places and relaxing moments with loved ones. Because most travel companies are selling this mixture of escape and relaxation, there are a few common themes you will see in a online travel website logo and other media related to this industry.

Bold Text
One common theme you will see in online travel website logo design is bold, highly legible text. Many companies also use all capital letters. This makes the name easier to read, even from a distance, and also makes it seem more authoritative. People want their travel company to be in charge, so a online travel website logo that expresses this attitude will be more successful.

Abstract Graphics
Graphic designers have to be very careful using globes, compasses, airplanes, and other travel related objects in their online travel website logo and ad design. These icons have been used to the point of overuse. The only way one of these objects can make an effective logo is if it is somehow changed to appear new and fresh again. Because that can be difficult to do, many travel companies have turned to logos that are entirely abstract. This makes the company seem more cutting edge and avoids being too obvious. However, with the right infusion of originality, a travel object can certainly replace the abstract graphics that have taken over the field of online travel website logo.

Location-Specific Color Scheme
The color scheme of a online travel website logo will usually reflect the location being advertised. If you have a travel agency specializing in tropical vacations, the color palate will be bold and splashy. If the company focuses on Asian travel, colors such as red and gold are a more obvious choice. Blue and green are both relaxing colors for a company that offers less exotic vacations or one that covers many different locales. There is no set color choice for a online travel website logo, so you and your designer are free to choose the one that suits you and your destination the best.

Unusual Design
There are a lot of travel options, so a company that wants to be successful must work to set itself apart from the competition. For this reason, travel brochures and ads tend to be the most innovative and unusual in the world of graphic design. Unique brochure design and eye-catching ad design dominate the field.

A Word of Warning
Because the average travel logo tends to follow this set of rules, it is easy for a logo to be so unremarkable that it fades out of notice. However, a logo like this is worse than no logo at all. A travel logo that is boring or clichéd will not make customers want to trust their hard earned vacation time to your company. It will not build the brand recognition that your company needs to compete in an era when anyone can make reservations themselves on the internet. A online travel website logo is not just a pretty picture for your signs. Rather, it is a representation of your company and the type of services you offer. An original online travel website logo, a winning ad design and a unique brochure design are all selling more than a trip; they are selling a fantasy.

Tell us a bit about who you are and the people you reach

Online travelers looking to research, plan and book hotels online. These travelers are used to using well designed websites and like all things contemporary and uncluttered.

They trust sites with good design

Requirements

The logo needs be very creative , clean and bold lines with some informality (fun)
Its a web.2.0 site , so needs to be a fresh contemporary logo with warm fun colors
People need to easily identify that insidehotels.com provides an insiders look into hotel reviews. Try to avoid the usual Cliche's of using hotel icons in the logo and no magnifying glasses to be used.

As the word Insidehotels.com is fairly long - try and find a way to visually emphasize the word "inside" separate from hotels